April-May 2016 Kitchen Table Activism:
Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
Join ROP rural organizers and leaders and unite our voices and strengthen our movement for justice in Oregon.
WHY THIS ACTIVITY?
This year’s theme for the Rural Caucus is “Who Speaks for Rural Oregon?”
Will the voices pushing policies of exclusion, racism, and violence define the agenda for rural Oregon?
Together, we can make the difference. Each year, the entire statewide network of rural organizers and community leaders come together at the Caucus to lift up our authentic stories, values, and needs so the collective voice of rural Oregon can be heard. The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is the biggest day of the year for ROP. Don’t miss it!
Thousands of ROP members are chomping at the bit to elevate the needs of our defunded, and—all too often—forgotten rural communities. Together we can change the politics of greed, isolation, and exclusion to policies grounded in justice, equity, compassion, and human dignity. Join us to name those priorities and to shape the next year of ROP’s work!
The 2016 Caucus will include a Sunday “Rural Organizing Institute” for new and experienced organizers alike to expand on all of the great thinking that will happen on Saturday! Register your team today!
Here are a few highlights for this year’s Caucus:
- The occupation at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge may be over, but the battle to claim a militia foothold in rural Oregon continues. We’ll unpack their current tactics and share our own strategies for resistance.
- We’ll take a hard look at the larger political environment (can we say Trump anyone?!), what we can expect out of this year’s election season and small town organizing strategies for a new democracy.
- We’ll share stories of the incredible organizing human dignity groups are moving forward across the state. What’s working in rural eastern Oregon on the frontlines of the growing militia movement? On the coast? Come hear directly from local leaders.
- We‘ll strategize how we will collectively raise our voices to demand what we need to have healthy and vibrant communities.
- We’ll build skills at Sunday’s Rural Organizing Institute, a half-day training to equip leaders and organizers packed with tools to engage their communities for social change.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY?
The Rural Caucus & Strategy Session began in the early 1990s and continued as an annual tradition because it is the space for rural and small town leaders to come together, name our priorities for the next year, and to shape ROP’s work for the year to come.
Register your human dignity group today!
STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:
Register by April 15th and get the early bird registration discount!
1. Gather your leadership team, fellow organizers, and friends. Pull out your calendars and mark the weekend of May 14-15th, and the early bird registration deadline of April 15th! Saturday’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be from 8:30am-5:30pm. Sunday’s Rural Organizing Institute will be a half-day morning training.
2. Decide who will be a part of your group’s Caucus team this year! Groups say they get the most out of the Caucus when they send a team of 3-5 people. Decide who in your group wants to stay an extra day for the Rural Organizing Institute on Sunday.
3. Register! You can register online or download a printable registration form here. You can also email jessica@rop.org to have a registration form emailed to you.
Early registration makes Caucus planning easier for ROP volunteers and staff, so please register early and take advantage of the early bird discount! To receive the early bird discount, ROP must receive your registration fees by April 15th.
4. See you in Bend! Registrants will receive a confirmation packet that includes details and directions a few days before the Caucus!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly project of the Rural Organizing Project. The theory is that basic steps can lead to powerful collective results as local groups gather to complete the same action throughout the state. ROP works to keep the tasks achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still manage to complete the KTA each month.